Collapsible arm support table for operating tables or beds



pt 1952 J. A. PARKER 2,609,261

COLLAPSIBLE ARM SUPPORT TABLE FOR OPERATING TABLES 0R BEDS I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1950 JOSEPH A. PAR/(ER,

INVEN TOR. HUEB/VER, BEEHL ER, WORREL 6 HERZ/G A TTORNE KS.

J. A. PARKER COLLAPSIBLE ARM SUPPORT TABLE FOR OPERATING TABLES OR BEDS Sept. 2, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1950 L .5 m5 Km RNO AEW WR A H m P a w J m R E N 6 w H HERZ/G ATTORNEYS- Sept. 2, 1952 J. A. PARKER 2,609,261

COLLAPSIBLE ARM SUPPORT TABLE FOR OPERATING TABLES 0R BEDS Filed 001:. 7, 1950 :s Sheets-Sheet 3 JOSEPH, A. PAR/(ER,

IIIIIIIIIII7IIIII/Ill VIII INVENT0R.. HUEBNER, BEEHLER, WORREL a! I 6 HERZ/G A TTORNE VS.-

MM M Patented Sept. 2, 1952 COLLAPSIBLE ARM SUPPORT TABI IE FOR OPERATING TABLES. R BEDS Joseph A. Parker, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October '7, 1950, Serial No. 188,993

3 Claims. 1

The application relates to surgical accessories for ofiice and hospital use and has particular reference to an operating table especially adapted to facilitate surgery of the arms or legs and which is adapted when not in use to be collapsed compactly for convenient storage.

Operating tables heretofore used in recent years in both operating rooms and in offices have ordinarily been constructed with considerable attention to sturdiness of construction and completeness with the object in mind of providing an extremely permanent piece of equipment sufliciently versatile to be utilized for practically all types of surgery. Although such equipment is admirably suited to the intended use, there are many occasions where relatively simple equipment would completely satisfy the surgeons needs not because of a lack of seriousness of the operation but more particularly because of a lack of necessity of accommodating the whole body of the person upon whom the operation is to be performed. I

In frequent instances there is such a constant demand upon operating facilities such as op-- erating rooms that many surgical cases have to await an opportunity when the room is free and it is common knowledge that the expense of providing and equipping complete operating rooms is considerable. Also, particularly for oflice use, the accepted operating equipment such as an operating table requires more room to accommodate it than is frequently available in the space usually provided for oifices so that some operations, the nature of which would permit them to be readily performed in the surgeons oflice, must await their turn in hospital operating rooms for lack of the surgeon being able to have readily available equipment which would suffice for particular operations.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved operating table especially adapted to surgical operations on the arms and legs which is compact in its arrangement, sturdy in its construction, While at the same time being collapsible when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved compactly arranged operating table adapted especially to surgical operations on parts of the arms and legs wherein the table is so designed that long and arduous operations can be performed without undue fatigue of the operating surgeon.

Still another object of the invention is to pro vide a new and improved compactly arranged operating table which can be utilized at the bed drawings, a collapsible bed-side table indicated side for surgery of parts of the arms and legs wherein there isprovided ample table top space conveniently arranged serving as rests for the operating surgeons when performing .delicate surgery and also, providing within convenient access table top surface areas upon which instruments can be rested and moreover providing a central area upon which the arm or leg can be rested with a drip arrangement therebeneath so that the arm or leg can always be kept clean and in the best condition for performance of the operation.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a collapsible operating table especially adapted for bedside use wherein an area is provided for reception of an arm or leg with a drip pan therebeneath, the table being so constructed that panels can be extended to open the area for reception of the drip pan and which can thereafter be closedover the area when the drip pan is removed, permitting folding of the entire table assembly into a compact arrangement for storage.

With these and other objects in view, the .invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the table opened up and in use.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the table in collapsed position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of'the table in extended or open position with a drip pan in place.

Figure 4 is a partial top perspective view partially in section showing the table in extended and erected position.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the table in extended and erected position.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a side view of the table in collapsed position.

Figure 8 is a partial elevational view in section taken on the line 88 of Figure 6. a

In an embodiment of the invention, one form of which is illustrated in the accompanying generally by the reference character In is shown positioned alongside a bed I I upon which an operating subject or patient I2 is stretched. The table is shown as having a table platform or table 3 top assembly 13 extending laterally from the bed and at substantially the same level as the top of the bed and. supported in that position by a single collapsible leg assembly M. In the position illustrated the patient or subject is shown in a position having the left arm i5 extended over the central portion of the table top ready for an operation.

To facilitate the positioning of the table in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 the table top may be constructed as shown in the detailed figures of the drawings. The table platform 13 as illustrated in Figure 2 has an elongated specially formed surface wherein an extension 26 is provided which can be rested upon a bed beneath the patient and preferably beneath the mattress for anchoring the table in the position illustrated in Figure 1. The table is provided with a pair of elbow or arm rests 2| and 22 at the inner end which would be positioned adjacent the bed in use. At the outer end similar elbow or arm rests 23 and 24 are provided whereas between outer and inner arm rests appear cut-out portions 25 and 26 having awidth somewhat greater than the body, thereby permitting the operating surgeon to position himself close to the subject of the operation and at the same time provide him with sturdy rests for his elbows and forearms thereby to steady and rest the operating surgeon while the operation is being performed.

Extending endwise at the mid-portion of the table is an upper panel 21 the upper surface of which is flush with the upper surface of the top of the table. As illustrated more particularly in Figure 4 the upper panel 21 is provided at the longitudinal side edges 28 and 29 with grooves adapted to interfit with tongs 30 and 3i at corresponding longitudinal side edges of an elongated opening 32 formed in the top of the table. In open position the upper panel may be considered as occupying a slot extending endwise from the opening 32.

Beneath the upper panel is a lower panel 33 conveniently visible in Figures 1, 3 and 4, sectional details of which are visible in Figures 6 and 8 together with corresponding sectional details of the upper panel 21. Operation of the lower panel 33 will be better understood by reference to the upper portion of the leg assembly M. The leg assembly has an upper section 35, an upper portion 36 of which is extended a substantial distance laterally to form a support for the top of the table. The upper portion 38 has a transverse plate 37 extending a corresponding distance from side to side of the table platform or top attached to the upper portion by a hinge 38 which allows the transverse plate 31 to be folded face to face against the upper portion 33. Spacer blocks 33 are located on each side of the transverse plate 31 to provide a space between the transverse plate 31 and the table platform or top underneath a portion of the platform for slidable reception of the lower panel 33.

With the lower panel 33 slidable endwise in the space thus provided and the upper panel 21 slidable endwise in the elongated opening 32, both panels may be slid open to the panels shown in some particular in Figures 3, 4', 5 and 8 and also Figure 1, providing a clear rectangular aperture in the platform for reception of a drip pan 40. To limit the extent of endwise movement of the lower panel 33 there is provided a stop block M on the underside thereof which is adapted to abut the inside end of the transverse plate 3'! as illustrated in Figure 8. A corresponding stop block 42 is shown attached to the underside of the upper panel 2! which stop block is adapted to abut against the inside end of the lower panel 33. In full open position both stop blocks are in the abutting positions just described and in such positions the rectangular area sufiicient in length to accommodate a drip pan 40 is provided. The drip pan is preferably provided with a laterally extending flange 43 adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the top of the table when the drip pan is in place. A screen, not shown, may if desired be provided at the top of the drip pan at the location indicated by the reference character 44 to serve as a support for the arm, in the illustration shown in Figure 1, upon which surface the arm may be held with a considerable degree of steadiness during the operation.

When the drip pan has been removed and both panels moved to the closed position shown in Figures 2 and '7, the inside end of the upper panel will abut a corresponding end 45 of the elongated opening 32 in which position, as shown in Figure 7, the inner end of the lower panel 33 will be in abutment with an intermediate stop block 46 on the underside of the platform.

To hold the leg assembly in erected position there is provided a collapsible brace 41 having an upper element 48 pivotally attached to a bracket 49 on the underside of the transverse plate 31 and a lower element 50 pivotally attached to a bracket 5| which is mounted upon a cover 52. This arrangement is best illustrated in Figure 8 wherein there is also shown a slot 53 in the upper portion 35 long enough to accommodate the collapsible brace when in collapsed position, the slot being covered by the cover 52.

So that the top of the table may be precisely adjusted with respect to the level of the top of the bed and so that the top of the table may be perfectly level, the leg assembly is provided with a vertically adjustable foot-piece as having laterally spaced feet 55 and 56 and an upper extension 51 which overlies a corresponding lower extension 53 of the upper section 35.

As best illustrated in Figure 6 the upper extension 51 is provided with slits 59 and 63 through which extend bolts 6! and 62 provided with wing nuts 63 and 64 which can be loosened to permit sliding the foot-piece up or down with relation to the upper portion of the leg and subsequently tightened to anchor the parts of the leg in a selected position of adjustment.

The table in extended or open position ready for use is as illustrated with the parts in the positions shown particularly in Figures 1, 5 and 8. After the drip pan has been removed and the panels 27 and 33 slid into place covering the elongated opening 32 as shown in Figure 2, the leg assembly i4 may be collapsed by springing the collapsible bracket 41 inwardly and downwardly so that the top of the table and the leg assembly may be moved hingedly to the position shown in Figure '7. In this position the collapsible bracket is received within the slot 53 and all flat portions of the table are compactly folded into positions substantially face to face so that the table in the thus collapsed position may be readily stored.

To subsequently open the table it is necessary only to first extend the leg assembly and the collapsible bracket 41 snaps into the open position shown particularly in Figures 5 and 8 and thereafter pull out the panels 27 and 33 thereby to open the elongated opening 32 into which the drip pan 40 may be placed. Once the drip pan is in place the panels 21 and 33 are anchored in their open positions in which positions they cannot be disturbed so long as the drip pan remains in place.

There has been described therefore a convenient, sturdy and compact operating table especially well adapted to bed-side and office use which is especially well adapted to surgical operations on portions of the arms and legs wherein a maximum of efficiency is demanded of the operating surgeon for long periods of time.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is; recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.' A bed-side operating table for surgery of the corporeal extremities comprising a table platform having a drip aperture extending therethrough, elbow rests on the table platform, one end of the table platform forming a bed rest extension and said table platform having a slot extending from the aperture through an outer end opposite from the bed rest extension, an upper panel having a sliding attachment to the sides of the slot, said upper panel having a closed position over the drip aperture and an open position clear of the aperture and extending beyond the outer end, a lower panel shorter than and underlying said upper panel, a mounting beneath said slot affording sliding movement for said lower panel, said lower panel having a closed position over the drip aperture and an open position extending beyond the outer end, stops cooperable between the panels and the table platform to limit outward movement of the panels, and a leg having an inwardly swinging hinged connection at the top thereof to the table platform near the outer end of said platform.

2. A bed-side operating table for surgery of the corporeal extremities comprising a table platform including a mid-portion having a central drip aperture therethrough, laterally extending elbow rests, one end of the table platform forming a bed rest extension, said table platform having a slot extending from the central drip aperture through an outer end opposite from the bed rest extension, a panel having a sliding attachment to the sides of the opening, said panel having a closed position over the central aperture and an open position clear of the central aperture and extending beyond the outer end, a stop between the panel and the table platform adaptedlin open position to limit outward movement of the panels, and a leg having a swinging hinged connection to the table platform near the outer end, said leg having a. collapsible brace operable between the mid-portion and the leg for holding the leg in extended position.

3. A bed-side operating table for surgery of the corporeal extremities comprising a table platform, one end of said platform forming a bed rest extension, said platform having an elongated opening extending lengthwise of the top member and through an outer end opposite from the bed rest extension, an upper panel having an upper surface thereof flush with the upper surface of the platform and a sliding attachment between the sides of the panel and the sides of the elongated opening, said upper panel having an open position extending beyond the outer end, a lower panel underlying said upper panel having a sliding mounting in said elongated opening and an open position extending beyond the outer end, means interposed between the panels and the table platform adapted in open position to limit outward movement of the panels, and a leg having an inwardly swinging hinged connection to the top member near the outer end, said leg having a collapsible brace connected at one end thereof to the top member, the other end of said brace being pivotally secured to the leg.

JOSEPH A. PARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 395,001 Russell Dec. 25, 1888 777,195 Fischer Dec. 13, 1904 907,839 Mendenhall Dec. 29, 1908 1,201,274 Denquer Oct. 17, 1916 1,822,206 Ferguson Sept. 8, 1931 2,476,620 Nichols July 19, 1949 

